


...Not So Bad

by respoftw



Series: Tumblr Prompts - Hawksilver edition [65]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 00:49:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4726547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint isn’t sure what he’s most upset about.  The fact that he’s stranded god-knows-where in the middle of god-knows-what country, the fact that he’s just fought his way out of a HYDRA compound after four days of rotting in a cell, the fact that he’s pretty sure his ankle is severely sprained, if not broken, or, the fact that his company on this trip is none other than Pietro ‘too-reckless-for-his-own-good’ Maximoff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	...Not So Bad

**Author's Note:**

> anonymous asked:
> 
> Some kind of Clint being lost and Pietro being super sweet and helpful and understanding to all of Clints McBitchy scorn about being lost but through their journey back to civilization Pietro really gets on Clints good side and they end up close ♡☆♡☆

Clint isn’t sure what he’s most upset about.  The fact that he’s stranded god-knows-where in the middle of god-knows-what country, the fact that he’s just fought his way out of a HYDRA compound after four days of rotting in a cell, the fact that he’s pretty sure his ankle is severely sprained, if not broken, or, the fact that his company on this trip is none other than Pietro ‘too-reckless-for-his-own-good’ Maximoff.

It’s not that he _dislikes_ Pietro exactly; it’s pretty hard to actively dislike someone who had thrown themselves in front of certain death for you.  Twice.  OK, maybe three times but who’s counting?  It’s more that Clint just doesn’t know how to act around the kid, swinging between gratitude (for the life-saving), anger (at the fact that Pietro keeps putting his own life in jeopardy), amusement (at the dry sense of humour that so perfectly complements his own sarcasm) and a soft kind of fondness that he really doesn’t ever want to think about too closely.

“Do you need to rest?  Are you sure you don’t want me to carry you?”

Actually, what’s _most_ upsetting to Clint right at this moment is how goddamn helpful and sweet Pietro is being, he’s fairly sure that this is one of the signs of an impending Apocalypse. 

Clint answers through gritted teeth, “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”  Pietro doesn’t look convinced and Clint wants nothing more than to smack the concerned look off his face.

“Remind me again why you aren’t running ahead and finding a way to call for help?”  Clint almost feels guilty about the dig as he sees Pietro’s face fall slightly before the kid schools into a more familiar glare.

“Despite what someone here seems to have forgotten, he wasn’t alone in that HYDRA camp and, funnily enough, four days of starvation and dehydration doesn’t really lend itself to providing me with enough energy to go running around a rainforest.”

Clint _definitely_ feels guilty now, although a part of him is relieved to hear Pietro’s familiar snark, so much more natural than the unexpected kid gloves that he’d been treating Clint with so far.  He decides to take the oft-repeated advice to rest and collapses exhaustedly to lean against the nearest tree as a sort of apology and absolutely does not get butterflies in his stomach at the pleased smile on Pietro’s face.

Resting actually feels pretty amazing and he half dozes, soaking in the relief of taking the weight off his aching ankle.  Really, they’re lucky that the ankle is the only injury they’re dealing with.  HYDRA had seemed more interested in using them as bait than actively hurting them and, though Clint is loath to admit it, the two of them had made a damn good team while escaping.

Gentle hands on his head and crisp, heavenly wetness on his lips rouse him from his catnap.  Where the hell had Pietro managed to get water?

“There was a stream a little bit east.  I can’t be 100% sure that it’s clean but it was moving fast and I figured that you need the water more than we should be worried about bacteria.”

Clint shakes his head in amazement.  “Were you a boy scout or something?”

“Or something.”  Pietro drops to the ground next to him and shrugs.  “Growing up, we never quite knew where our next meal was coming from so I learned all the best places to find food and water.”  He grins as he holds out a handful of fruit and star-shaped plants.

They pass the meal in a comfortable silence,  the press of Pietro’s shoulder against his own a welcome presence.

“So…” Clint begins, “Do we have a plan?”

Pietro smiles at the use of the word ‘we’ and Clint’s heart stutters at how beautiful he looks, in the middle of nowhere and covered in five days’ worth of grime.

“Well, I’m sure the Avengers are looking for us, Wanda is probably being a terror.”  Pietro’s smile dies a bit at the thought of his sister and Clint finds himself shifting closer, needing to offer some comfort.  “They’ll find us before long.”

Pietro sounds so sure and Clint doesn’t know what they’ve done to deserve the faith that this kid is showing them.

As if he can sense Clint’s confusion, Pietro continues.  “I remember seeing you all work together in Sokovia, you all fought to protect people that you didn’t even know, in a country you probably couldn’t have even pointed out in a map.  And then SHIELD came with the rescue and….it was not so bad.”

Clint chuckles.  “Not so bad?  They should use that as promotional material for us.  So, we wait here until they find us?  Like I tell my kids to do if they get lost at the grocery store?”

Pietro shakes his head at the suggestion.  “Just for tonight.  I think a good night’s sleep and some more water and fruit will get my energy levels up enough that I can run out of here, find civilisation, call for help.”

Clint nods.  “Sounds like a solid plan.  You can go get help and I’ll wait here on the cavalry.”

“Absolutely not.  When I said I can run out of here, I meant _with_ you. Never leave a man behind, right?”  Pietro’s eyes are so close and so wide and bright and so full of hope that Clint can’t help but agree.

“Right.”

Sleeping on the floor of a rainforest, with roots digging into his back and insects crawling around him should not count as one of the best night’s sleep that he’s ever has but waking up tangled together with a snarky, brave, infuriating and surprisingly sweet Pietro puts it into the top ten with a bullet.

It’s getting harder and harder not to think about that soft kind of fondness that Clint feels whenever he looks at the kid.

Pietro’s plan seems to be a go, he definitely looks brighter and more energetic today and after a breakfast of more foraged foods but before Clint is able to ask how they should best go about this, the ground disappears from his feet and his stomach feels like it got left twenty miles behind as Pietro zooms off in a seemingly random direction.

 Either the direction was not so random or their luck had just taken a turn for the better because not only do they reach a village within a few minutes of running, but they reach a village that has a Quinjet and a handful of distressed looking Avengers getting ready to hike through the rainforest.

Suddenly he’s back on the ground and in the middle of a throng of friends, hands searching for injuries and pulling him into hugs.

Exclamations of “How did you find us?”, “What the hell happened?”, “I swear to God if you ever do that again..” and “Wait…was Speedy carrying you bridal style?” surround him but it’s Natasha who pulls him aside.

“Clint.  Are you OK?  How bad was it, honestly?”

He finds Pietro’s eyes locked on his from across the crowd, a shy smile on his face as he completely ignores the scolding that Wanda appears to be giving him.

As he reluctantly breaks the contact, dragging his eyes back to a knowing looking Nat, Clint answers.  “It was….not so bad.”


End file.
